Upholstery needle



Jam 1934- w. J. GAGNON UPHOLSTERY NEEDLE Filed Jan. 25, 1933 INVENTOR WILLIAM J. GAGNON BY HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNETED STATES PT T OF F 11 7 Claims.

This invention relates to upholstery needles and more particularly to needles for use in threading bead chain through upholstered cushions, mattresses and the like to form I tufts and it is an object of this invention to provide an improved needle of the type described to which the bead chain can be readily secured for threading through the article and which can be operated to hold the bead chain firmly in a 10 position which permits of readily attaching the end button to the bead chain.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an upholstery needle constructed in accordance with this invention, the parts being positioned for reception of the bead chain;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the needle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial top plan view of the needle shown in Fig. 1, drawn to a larger scale and with the bead chain shown attached thereto;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the needle as shown in Fig. 3;

I Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section taken at the attaching end of the needle;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing an initial stage in the operation of securing the bead chain in position to apply a button thereto after the bead chain has been threaded through the article;

Fig. 7 is a view showing the final stage of the operation of positioning the bead chain to receive a button; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are views in elevation of the point and attaching end, respectively, of the needle. 35 An upholstery needle constructed in accordance with this invention comprises a body 1 having at one end the usual point 2 and at the other end a recess or cup 3. The end wall 4 of the cup 3 is divided by a slot 5 which extends :10 for a short distance, longitudinally of the needle, into the bottom 6 of the cup 3. Slidably mounted upon the body 1 of the needle is a tubular sleeve 8 which is slotted as at 10 to receive an end of a pin 12 fixed in the body 1 of the needle. The pin and slot connection permits of a limited movement of the sleeve 8 longitudinally of the needle so that the sleeve 8 may be operated to cover or uncover the cup 3. When the sleeve 8 covers the cup 3 the end of the sleeve abuts or the end wall 4 which is of such dimensions as to project at the sides and top of the needle. In the end of the sleeve 8 adjacent the end wall 4 of the cup 3 there is provided a short slot 14 which extends longitudinally of the needle and is positioned to be opposite the slot in the bottom 6 when the sleeve 8 covers the cup 3. The sleeve 8 tapers toward the needle point so as to provide an entering edge of reduced thickness.

As shown in the drawing the ties used to draw in the upholstery so as to give the desired tufted 61) effect comprise lengths of chain 15 with an end button secured on one end thereof. The cup 3 of the needle is of sufficient length to receive two beads 9 and 11 of the chain 15 with the link 1'7 7 connecting the second and third beads 11 and 19 65 of the chain fitting in the slot 5 in the end wall 4. of the cup and thedepth of the cup is suffi'cientto receive the beads and'permit the sleeve 8 to be readily moved to the position shown in Fig. 8 in which the sleeve 8 cooperates with the needle in holding the beads in the cup 3, thus securing the chain 15 to the needle. With the chain thus secured to the needle the needle is passed through the article in the usual way and the friction of the material upon the sleeve 8 tends to hold it in the position in which it secures the chain to the needle. The body 1 of the needle is provided with a fiat portion 16 and a groove 18 placed to indicate the position of the cup 3 so that as the needle is drawn from the article it can be readily turned to have the cup opening turned in a desired position.

When the needle is fully drawn from the article the sleeve 8 is moved towards the needle point and the needle is turned so that the cup 3 is directed outwardly or away from the article, as in Fig. 6. As the needle is turned to the position shown in Fig. 6 the link 17 connecting the second and third beads 11 and 19 of the chain travels in the slot 5 and lodges in that portion of the slot formed in the bottom 6 of the cup 3. This movement of the chain with respect to the needle causes the chain to be substantially perpendicular to the needle with the first bead 9 of the chain positioned outside of the cup 3 and with the link 21 joining the first and second beads of the chain in position to be engaged in the slot 14.- in the sleeve 8. The sleeve 8 is thereupon moved toward the wall 4 and the link 21 between the first and second beads 9 and 11 of the chain is engaged in the slot 14 thus securing the chain as shown in Fig. '7 with the first bead 9 of the chain firmly held in position to receive a button 20. The buttons used in connection with the chain are snapped on the end beads in a manner similar to the usual glove fastener and can be constructed as shown in the patent to Patchen, No. 1,887,066, issued November 8, 1932.

After the button has been applied the sleeve 8 is moved towards the needle point to free the beads 9 and 11 and the needle is then moved to cause the link 1'? to move upwardly and out of the slot 5 to free the chain 15 from the needle.

What is claimed is:-

1. An upholstery needle having a recess to receive a chain end and an abutment forming an end wall for said recess, said abutment being slotted to receive a chain link and a sleeve slidable upon said needle to close said recess and retain said chain therein.

2. An upholstery needle having a recess to receive a chain end and an abutment forming an end wall for said recess, said abutment being slotted to receive a chain link, and a sleeve slidable upon said needle to close said recess and retain said chain end therein, said sleeve being slotted to engage said chain and retain said chain in position to receive a button.

3. An upholstery needle having a recess to receive a tie end having enlarged portions therein and an abutment forming an end wall for said recess, said abutment being slotted to engage the tie between enlarged portions, and a sleeve slidable upon said needle to close the recess and retain said tie end therein, said sleeve and needle being slotted longitudinally to engage the tie between enlarged portions and hold the tie end transversely of the needle to receive a button.

4. An upholstery needle having a recess to receive a chain end and an abutment forming a wall of said recess, said abutment being slotted to receive a chain link, and a sleeve slidable upon said needle to close said recess and retain said chain end therein, said sleeve and needle being slotted longitudinally to engage said chain and hold said chain end projecting transversely of said needle to receive a button.

5. An upholstery needle having a recess to receive a chain end and an abutment forming a wall of said recess, said abutment being slotted to engage said chain, and a sleeve slidable upon said needle to close said recess and retain said chain therein, said sleeve being slotted to engage said chain, said needle having a longitudinal slot extending from the slot in said abutment, said sleeve and needle cooperating to hold a chain extending through said slots in said needle and sleeve transversely of said needle and in engagement with said abutment.

6. An upholstery needle having a recess at an end thereof with connecting slots in an end and the bottom walls of the recess and a sleeve having a limited longitudinal movement on the needle to open and close the recess, said sleeve having a slot aligned with the slot in the bottom of the recess to form a transverse opening through the needle when the recess is closed by the sleeve.

'7. An upholstery needle having a recess at an end thereof with slots in an end and the bottom walls of the recess and a sleeve movably mounted on the needle to open and close the recess, said sleeve having a slot aligning with a slot in a wall of the recess to form an opening through the needle when the recess is closed by the sleeve.

WILLIAM J. GAGNON. 

